'90 E.M.B.A.
Senior Vice President, Operational Excellence & Chief Procurement Officer
Tyco International
As senior vice president of operational excellence and chief procurement officer at Tyco International, Shelley Stewart Jr., ’80 E.M.B.A., is responsible for ensuring organizational efficiency. As a volunteer leader, he takes responsibility for ensuring that others have the same advantages he had.
Stewart was the first person in his family to attend college. He left home on Long Island to attend Northeastern University in Boston, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice and prepared for a legal career. Needing to find a job, Stewart instead returned to New York and landed work in purchasing, for which he discovered a hidden talent. That talent led him to United Technologies, where he worked for 18 years, and to Invensys and Raytheon, where Stewart held senior supply chain and operational positions. Along the way, he earned his E.M.B.A. at UNH while employed full time.
His management innovations have gained Stewart and Tyco accolades nationwide. Purchasing magazine awarded the company its 2009 Medal of Professional Excellence, and he was named a top 100 Black Businessperson of the Year by Black Enterprise magazine the same year.
Amid all his accomplishments, Stewart has maintained his passion for giving back to the community. His volunteer activities include board memberships with the Boys & Girls Club of Trenton, N.J., along with Howard University and Northeastern.
“It began with my upbringing,” Stewart explains. “My family always participated in the community when I was growing up. I’ve been blessed and fortunate to have a great career, and I feel an obligation to find a way to give back. It’s my way of giving people an opportunity to succeed. I consider myself very lucky to have worked for companies that encourage community involvement because I really get energized by young people.”
